Muscular system

Muscles are responsible for all types of

movement in the body
They contract or shortened for movement to take
place
The three basic muscle types are
Skeletal muscle
Cardiac muscle
Smooth muscle
 Muscles are composed of
Skeletal muscle tissue
Connective tissue
Nerve tissue

Connective tissue
Is divided into two forms beneath the skin
Deep - is around the organs including
muscles
 When connective tissue is associated with
muscle there are three layers
Epimysium which surrounds the whole
muscle
Perimysium divides the muscle into
bundles
Endomysium which envelops the individual
muscle cells
 Skeletal muscle
Highly specialized to contract
Each cell is called a fiber
Contains the following:
Sarcolemma plasma membrane
Sarcoplasm cytoplasm (mitochondria
For ATP)
Sarcoplasmic reticulum similar to ER
stores calcium
Transverse Tubules - for calcium
transport
Myofibril protein in the sarcoplasm
 The filaments:
Thick filaments myosin
Thin filaments actin, troponin, tropomyosin
Sarcomere a segment of the myofibril
whose thick and thin filaments are divided
into regions such as * A Band where thick
and thin filaments overlap (dark)
I Band Where only thin filaments
occur (light)
H Zone only thick filaments occur
 Nerve supply
A motor neuron provides a stimulus to
the muscle fiber
One motor neuron with the muscle it
innervates is called a motor unit
The region between the motor neuron
and the sarcolemma is called
neuromuscular junction (important)
This is the space (gap) between
terminal end of motor neuron and a
motor end plate
 Function of Muscles:
Movement
Stabilizes joint
Support
Heat production
 Characteristics of muscle:
1) Excitability- receives signal
2) Contractility - contract
3) Extensibility- extend
4) elasticity- expandable/stretch
 Characteristics of Skeletal muscle

Most are attached to the bones

Cells are multinucleate
Striated have visible bandings
Voluntary subject to CNS control
Cells are bundled by connective tissue
 Characteristics of the Smooth muscle:

Has no striations
Single nucleus
Involuntary
Found in hollow organs
Slow and tireless
 Characteristics of Cardiac muscles:

Has striations
Joined to another by the intercalated disc
Involuntary
Found only in the heart
Steady pace
 The physiology of Muscle contraction
* calcium are stored in Sarcoplasmic
reticulum the ATP molecules are
bound to the thick filaments (Myosin)

* Role of stimulus
The release of large amounts of
acetylcholine (Ach) into synaptic
cleft starts the beginning of muscle
contraction
 Once the acetylcholine (Ach) arrives at the
motor end plate of the muscle fiber action
potential is generated and it reaches
sarcoplasmic reticulum
Calcium are released
Calcium enters the myofibril
They (calcium bind) with troponin in the thin
filament (pull away)
This result in the exposure of the binding sites in
the thin filament (ACTIN)
 Once the opening happens the portion of the thick
filament (myosin) called cross bridges bind to the
thin filament (actin)
At the same time calcium ions activate the
breakdown of ATP that is bound in the thick
filament
The energy released is used to move the cross
bridges and to produce heat/movement
 Energy for muscle contraction
Anaerob ic glycolysis
ATP/PC
Lactic acid system

Breaks down glucose for energy

Aerobic respiration
Takes place in the mitochondria
 Why Muscle fatigue

* No supply of O2 and glucose

* Body transport system inefficient
* Oxygen debt (need to repay)
* lack of calcium in the body
END
 Muscle attachment
* origin point of attachment to a more
stable bone
* Insertion - attach to a more movable bone

* Effect of training towards muscular

endurance
- increase in muscle size (hypertrophy)
- increase in motor ability (motor unit
recruitment)
- less fatigue
- more efficient
 Exercise and strength

- exercising for strength enhances hypertrophy

of the muscle group
- enhances the ability of the muscle group to
utilize glycogen, glucose & creatine phospate
- The stress increases the growth of tendons
& ligament ( they become stronger)